India vs Australia: India Win Maiden Test Series Down Under As Rain Washes Out Final Day
It's official! India have registered their first Test series victory in Australia, but will have to be satisfied with a scoreline of 2-1 after the fifth day of the fourth and final Test was completely washed out in Sydney on Monday (January 7).
Only 25.2 overs were possible on the previous day, and with not a single delivery bowled on day five, India didn't get ample time to wrap up Australia's second innings.
Covers were kept on throughout the morning because of persistent drizzling with dark clouds hovering over the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia were still 316 in arrears when the match was called off as a draw.
The victory meant Virat Kohli became the first Indian as well as the first Asian captain to win a Test series Down Under. Kohli now has four Test series wins away from home. It is the first time India have managed the feat since they began touring Australia in 1947-48.
Coming into this match on the back of two impressive victories in Adelaide and Melbourne, India rode on solid knocks from Cheteshwar Pujara (193), Rishabh Pant (159*), Ravindra Jadeja (81) and Mayank Agarwal (77) to post a mammoth first innings score of 622 for 7.
The home team were never in the game and were bowled out for 300 in their first innings, with Kuldeep Yadav, who was playing his first match of the series, picking up 5 for 99. The likes of Mohammed Shami (2 for 58), Jasprit Bumrah (1 for 62) and Jadeja (2 for 73) too chipped in and provided Kuldeep superb support.
Pujara (521 runs) ended the series as the highest run-getter and was named the player of the series, while with 21 wickets to his name, Bumrah was leading wicket-taker alongside Nathan Lyon, who too ended with 21 scalps.
India will now play three ODIs against Australia, starting Saturday in Sydney, before flying to New Zealand for the limited-overs series.